


Adjustments

by Rachel500



Series: Aftershocks [115]
Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Episode Tag, F/M, Friendship, Gen, S6 Aftershocks, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-06-02
Updated: 2010-06-02
Packaged: 2017-10-20 01:05:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/207181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rachel500/pseuds/Rachel500
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>TAG to Sight Unseen</p>
            </blockquote>





	Adjustments

The iris closed with a metallic snick that Samantha Carter paid no attention to as she made her way down the ramp, removing her cap with one hand. To her right, Jonas Quinn and Teal'c followed her until they were all stood in a neat line-up in front of General Hammond. Not for the first time, Sam felt a pang as Hammond's eyes landed on her rather than their usual SG1 team leader, Jack O'Neill.

'Sir.' Sam gestured back towards the gate. 'The device has been safely delivered back to the planet.'

The device in question was some kind of dimensional machine; able to give someone the ability to see into a different dimension while simultaneously attracting the creatures there towards it for study. It was remarkable. It was also highly dangerous given the ease with which the dimensional sight was passed on. The SGC had just narrowly escaped revealing the existence of the Stargate programme. They'd unwittingly spread the ability to see the dimensional creatures beyond the base before they had realised what had happened.

Sam's eyes drifted to Jonas as she felt a renewed flicker of guilt for not believing him when he'd first seen the creatures. They had all worried that Jonas's ability to suddenly see things they hadn't was a sign he was suffering from the radiation sickness that had struck down the other Kelownan scientists involved with the naquadria project on his planet. She belatedly realised that General Hammond was talking.

'...good job, Major.'

'Uh, thank you, sir.' Sam said.

Hammond smiled at the three of them. 'As soon as you've handed in your reports you can consider yourselves on downtime.'

'Do we really need the downtime, General?' Jonas piped up quickly. 'I mean, my understanding was that you put us on downtime because I was seeing things but as I really was seeing things and wasn't, uh...'

'Hallucinating.' Teal'c supplied helpfully.

'You see my point?' Jonas concluded, looking hopefully at the General.

Hammond glanced at Sam who was trying to hide her smile. 'I'm guessing you're also of the same opinion, Major?'

'Yes, sir.' Sam agreed. She had intended spending the downtime in her lab but she knew their team leader had been pleased to get away from the SGC. He had requested leave when they'd returned from the Asgard home galaxy only to be refused given the back-log of missions created by the Asgard's removal of key supplies. She knew he had been looking forward to going fishing. Her stomach fluttered slightly at the thought. 'But I don't think Colonel O'Neill needs to be recalled, sir.'

The General nodded. 'Consider yourself temporarily in charge of SG1, Major. I'll put you back on mission rotation.' He looked at the three of them. 'We'll debrief tomorrow at oh-eight-hundred.' He left before they could thank him.

Sam waved at her two team-mates. 'Go ahead to the infirmary. I'll catch up with you.' She diverted into the control room, taking the stairs to the General's office. She rapped sharply on the open door and he turned to look at her surprised.

He waved her in. 'Was there something else, Major?'

'I'd like your permission to take Jonas and Teal'c off-base for a night, sir.' Sam explained.

'Permission granted.' Hammond said. 'On the condition that you clear your physicals.'

'Thank you, sir.' Sam said.

Hammond smiled at her. 'Dismissed, Major.'

She turned to leave but paused as she caught sight of how his smile fell away and the look of worry that took its place. She hovered in the doorway. She rarely allowed herself to acknowledge her relationship with Hammond as a friend of her family but she couldn't help but be concerned; he looked as though the weight of the world was on his shoulders. 'Sir. Is everything OK?'

Hammond looked up, momentarily startled to find her still present. His expression smoothed. 'Nothing for you to worry about, Major.'

His emphasis on her rank had her straightening. 'Yes, sir.'

'Sam.' Hammond stopped her as she made to leave again. He motioned her back inside and gestured for her to shut the door. He sighed heavily. 'Senator Kinsey is using the events of the last few days to argue for complete disclosure of the Stargate programme to key allies and states.'

'I see, sir.' Sam grimaced. The Senator was not a fan of the SGC; she could imagine the pressure the General was under especially as the programme had almost been compromised.

'And frankly, I'm running out of arguments on why we shouldn't.' Hammond concluded. He settled back in his chair, placing his hands over the swell of his belly. 'The past few days haven't been our finest hour.'

Sam winced. While she knew any of the SG teams could have brought the device back, she couldn't help but feel responsible. 'We couldn't have known, sir.'

'He's arguing that we took an unacceptable risk especially now we have off-world bases where the device could have been taken for study.' Hammond tapped his fingers together. 'And as much as I hate to admit it, he has a point.'

'With respect, sir, neither the Alpha or Beta sites are currently set-up for extended study of alien artefacts.' Sam said. 'It currently isn't possible for either to be used for such a purpose.'

'Maybe we should consider putting a proposal together for such a facility.' Hammond said. 'It may help me delay Kinsey's proposal.'

Sam nodded. 'I'd be happy to put together some provisional thoughts, General.'

'Confer with Doctor Lee on this tomorrow.' Hammond said. 'He's our most experienced off-world civilian scientist and I'd like to get his thoughts on this.'

'Yes, sir.' Sam agreed. The thought that Hammond would no doubt have suggested her old team-mate Daniel Jackson if he hadn't Ascended to another plane of existence instead of Lee drifted through her mind.

'You'd best get to your post mission check, Major.' Hammond reminded her gently.

Sam gave a small smiled and nodded. She headed out of the office and to the infirmary.

Janet Fraiser greeted her with a pointed look at her watch.

'Sorry,' Sam said quickly, taking her place on one of the infirmary beds, 'I was discussing something with the General.'

'You're forgiven.' Janet said as she began her checks. 'You just missed Jonas and Teal'c.'

Sam waited until Janet finished examining the back of her throat before speaking again. 'Are they cleared to leave the base?'

'I don't see why not.' Janet said, noting down her observations on the clipboard she carried. She darted a glance at Sam. 'You had something in mind?'

'Just dinner and maybe a movie.' Sam said. 'Jonas doesn't get many chances to get off-base.'

'Well, sounds fun.' Janet said wistfully.

'You want to come?' Sam asked impulsively.

Janet shook her head. 'Can't.' She placed the blood pressure cuff on Sam. 'I'm standing in for Doctor Brightman tonight.' She fell silent as she took the reading but regarded Sam speculatively as she made another notation. 'Of course, we could go out this weekend for another girl's night out.'

Sam attempted a smile. 'I'm not sure...'

'Oh come on.' Janet said. 'The last one wasn't so bad.'

It hadn't been, Sam considered tiredly. She and Janet had gone to a couple of nice bars; had some nice drinks; met some nice guys who had tried and failed to get her number. It just wasn't her scene.

'You need to get out more.' Janet noted.

'Is that your medical diagnosis?' Sam asked sharply.

Janet's eyebrows rose. 'Actually, yes. As your doctor, I believe it wouldn't hurt you to relax more and have some fun.'

'I have fun.' Sam said defensively. Why didn't anyone think she had any fun? She had fun. She did. OK, so maybe her idea of fun was taking some alien device apart and putting it back together again and not sitting on a dock with a fishing rod but it was still fun. She grimaced as she realised where her thoughts had drifted.

'And as your friend,' Janet continued as though Sam hadn't spoken, 'I have to tell you I believe it wouldn't hurt you to relax more and have some fun.'

Sam sighed in defeat. 'Fine. We'll go out.'

'Great.' Janet finished her write-up with a flourish and gestured at her. 'You're all done.'

Sam jumped down off the infirmary bed and smiled her goodbye as she headed for the showers. She stripped and put the water on hot, letting the warmth of it seep into her bones and wash away the sand that had sneaked through to lie against her skin. Instant exfoliation, Sam mused as she felt the rub of the tiny particles as she soaped up. The Colonel had complained about sand getting everywhere constantly and very loudly the whole time they had been on P9X391 the first time, she remembered fondly.

She ducked her head back under the streaming water.

God. She must love him if she considered his grumpiness attractive. She switched the shower off and wrapped a towel around her body, grabbing another to dry her hair.

The problem was she did love him, Sam thought sadly as she dressed. He was the reason why she really wasn't interested in the dating scene; why Mrs Sharp's assumption of her and Jonas being a couple was the closest thing she had gotten to being in a relationship for years. She tied her laces with a hard jerk.

There was a time when Jack had invited her fishing and meant it; meant it as a prelude to them getting closer, to spending time together outside of work, when the invite had held only the veneer of friendship masking his deeper motivations. Just as she had always wanted to go for the same reasons but had always refused because fishing together alone was risky and she knew in her heart it would have been the start of something more. But those days were over.

He only ever seemed to invite her when she was already scheduled to do something else as though he wasn't truly concerned if she wanted to go fishing with him at all; as though he didn't want her there even just as a friend.

And it hurt.

Because she wanted desperately to go; to sit on his dock with him, to fish beside him and just enjoy his friendship and company if that's all they could have.

Sam slammed her locker shut. It was better that he kept her at arm's length. They'd gotten a little closer since Daniel's death and he had allowed her to help him a little through his recovery from being a Tok'ra host and being tortured at the hands of Ba'al. But it was clear that the Colonel had no intent on returning to their previous situation when both of them had slipped over the lines allowed by their military ranks and working relationship. And he was right. They needed to maintain a professional distance to protect each other better; to focus on the mission.

Career, Sam reminded herself for the umpteenth time as she left the locker room and went in search of Jonas and Teal'c. She needed to just focus on her career and not moon over what might have been with Jack or what was.

o-O-o

Jonas handed the menu back to the waitress with an easy grin, unaware of how her eyes rested appreciatively on the well-defined muscles of his arms and torso showcased by his tight white t-shirt. He did notice Sam attempting to hide a grin as the waitress walked away. He looked at his team-mate questioningly.

'What?' He asked.

Teal'c picked up his virgin cocktail with its flamboyant pink umbrella and regarded Jonas with amusement. 'I believe Major Carter observed the waitress admiring your physique.'

'Really?' Jonas's head swivelled around to the waitress who stood staring at him from the front desk. She immediately blushed and hurried to look busy. 'You think she's interested in me?'

Sam pointed her straw at him. 'Oh, she's definitely interested.'

Jonas turned back around a little self-consciously. The waitress was young and pretty. 'She's nice.'

'You should ask her out.' Sam suggested.

Jonas stared at her. Asking out the waitress hadn't crossed his mind. 'Me?'

Sam exchanged an openly amused look with Teal'c. 'Well, she's not interested in me.'

Jonas was fairly certain she was making a joke rather than an expression of disappointment. But then he'd never really talked with Sam about her romantic relationships; he'd just assumed she was interested in men. He'd observed that she and the Colonel were close and had an attraction although given the regulations he'd read he assumed they couldn't pursue a romantic relationship nor apparently could Sam be openly gay if she was that way inclined. Not that he thought she was. He picked up a cashew nut. 'These taste great.'

'You're not going to ask her?' Sam teased.

Jonas flushed. 'I'm not sure I'm allowed to date.'

Teal'c raised his eyebrow.

'I mean, I'm...you know.' Jonas said.

'An illegal alien.' Sam grinned at him.

Teal'c inclined his head. 'You are human, Jonas.'

'Mostly.' Sam quipped. She raised a hand as Teal'c shot her a quelling look.

'Well, it would be kind of hard to date when I'm not allowed off-base without an escort.' Jonas commented.

'I could talk to General Hammond.' Sam offered. 'I'm sure something can be arranged.'

'That would be great.' Jonas smiled at her gratefully. 'I'd appreciate that.'

Teal'c got to his feet and quietly excused himself. He headed for the bathroom and Jonas picked up his own drink. He had opted for an apple juice. Sometimes Earth drinks had a tendency to surprise him. He took a large gulp and enjoyed the sweet tart taste as it washed through his mouth.

He leaned forward. 'I want to thank you for this.' He waved his hand at the restaurant. 'I really appreciate it.'

Sam lowered her drink. 'I should have invited you out before, Jonas.'

There was a sincere regret in her voice that pulled at his compassion. 'I can understand why you haven't.' Jonas said. 'You were very close to Doctor Jackson.'

'I didn't – don't – blame you for what happened with Daniel, Jonas.' Sam rushed to reassure him.

'I know.' And he did. He had never felt that Sam blamed him even in the immediate aftermath of his arrival from Kelowna and Daniel's Ascension. If he'd been pressed, he would have said she just hadn't really acknowledged his presence as important up until the issues with the Stargate that had earned him his chance on SG1.

'It's not really been about you.' She continued. 'I've just...' she searched for words, 'struggled with the whole adjustment, I guess.' She offered him a small smile. 'Losing Daniel...gaining a new team-mate.'

'I understand.'

'I also need to apologise again.' Sam said. 'For not believing you.'

'I can understand why.' Jonas refused to dwell on how much it had disturbed him that his team-mates hadn't believed him about seeing the dimensional creatures. Given the medical history of his old mentor Doctor Kieran, Jonas could appreciate why they had jumped to the conclusion that he might have been hallucinating especially when he was the only one to see the creatures at first. Even he had been concerned given there was no video evidence to support his first sighting.

'I know how I felt when the guys didn't believe me about seeing a...a visitor.' Sam said.

'You mean the incident with, uh...' he searched his memory, 'Orlin?'

She nodded. 'I know they had reason to believe I was seeing things because I'd collapsed but...' she looked down at the bright red tablecloth, 'if anyone should have believed you, it should have been me.'

Jonas shrugged. 'I won't deny that I was disappointed that you all didn't believe me despite the evidence but like I said I understand why.' He gave a short laugh. 'For a second there I thought I might be going the same way as Doctor Kieran myself.'

Sam reached across the table and placed a hand on his arm. 'You're going to be fine, Jonas.'

'Maybe.' He said, trying to make light of his worry. 'And what you said yesterday about me being part of the team and doing a good job? I really appreciate that.'

Sam squeezed his arm. She opened her mouth to say something else but a throat being cleared beside the table had them both looking sideways at a disappointed waitress. Sam sat back to allow the young woman to place the pizzas on the table.

Sam held back her laugh until the waitress had left. 'Sorry, Jonas.'

'Not a problem.' He shrugged unconcerned and shifted to allow Teal'c back into the booth.

Jonas picked up a slice of pizza and bit into it, enjoying the tangy taste of tomato. He hadn't really considered getting involved with anyone on Earth since his arrival but maybe he should. After all, it was unlikely that he would ever go back to Kelowna. He would need to read some books, Jonas mused, from everything he had seen on the television programmes Teal'c watched, courting on Earth was not the same as Kelowna. Jonas frowned. It always unsettled him a little whenever he considered staying on Earth and never going back but just at that moment...it didn't. He didn't know what that meant, if it meant anything. Maybe, he mused as he devoured another slice of pizza and watched as Sam tried to convince Teal'c into giving her a bite of his, maybe it was a sign that he had made an adjustment in accepting Earth as his home just as Sam had with accepting him onto the team.

He was proud of the latter. His relationship with the Colonel was improving all the time, he'd always been close to Teal'c, but somehow with Sam's acceptance of him...he felt like he finally belonged on SG1. And that probably explained why he felt like Earth was his home, Jonas realised.

'You OK?' Sam asked, interrupting his thinking.

Jonas picked up another slice of pizza. 'So,' he began curiously, 'how does courting someone work here?'

o-O-o

The wormhole shimmied and Jacob Carter stepped out onto the ramp. He took a moment to get his bearings before he made his way down to the single waiting person.

Hammond smiled widely at him and greeted him with a firm handshake and a pat on the shoulder. 'Jake. It's good to see you.'

'You too.' Jacob frowned.

'Major Carter's already left for the evening.' Hammond explained, anticipating Jacob's first question, as he led the way out of the gate-room and up the stairs to his office. 'She took Jonas and Teal'c off-base for a meal, I believe. She'll be back later.'

Jacob offered him a grateful smile. 'Actually, it's you who I've come to see.' He reached into the bag he had slung cross-ways over his body and pulled out a small blue bottle. 'It's the first of the synthetic tretonin for the Pangarans.'

Hammond shut the door and turned the bottle over in his hands. 'You want to run some tests with them, I presume.'

'That would be the next step.' Jacob said. 'If you can organise an SG team to give me an introduction tomorrow that would be great.'

'Jack's fishing but the rest of SG1 can accompany you.' Hammond said. He placed the bottle on the table and waved Jacob into a chair.

'Jack's on leave?' Jacob inquired. 'Is everything OK?'

Hammond nodded. 'The downtime was precipitated by an incident with an Ancient piece of technology. It caused us to be able to see creatures from another dimension. That ability was transferred by way of an electrical charge and the base was breeched.' He moved to the cabinet and pulled out a good bottle of scotch and a couple of glasses. He raised it in an offer and Jacob nodded, although his eyebrows rose as Hammond poured out the drinks. 'We managed to contain the situation but Colorado Springs had to be quarantined, there's a cover story and...'

'And a whole heap of political crap.' Jacob concluded taking the tumbler.

Hammond smiled but it didn't reach his eyes. He settled back into his leather chair with his hands wrapped around his glass. 'I could do with some advice from an old friend.'

'Shoot.' Jacob said.

'Senator Kinsey is arguing for disclosure of the Stargate programme to the major powers; China, the United Kingdom, France.' Hammond explained. 'He's been pushing for it since the X303 was hijacked. This latest incident has given him fresh ammunition.' He took a sip of his drink. 'I'm running out of arguments.'

'Maybe it's time.' Jacob said.

Hammond frowned.

'Think about it, George,' Jacob waved his glass at him, 'it's a minor miracle the whole thing hasn't been discovered by the public yet. If this is just about informing the governments of some of the major foreign powers...it may gain you more than you lose.'

'China is not going to be happy with the Stargate being in the hands of the US military.' Hammond pointed out. 'And there's no guarantee that any of them will accept the status quo.'

'True.' Jacob said. 'But this way you have some control over the disclosure.' He looked at his old friend seriously. 'If Kinsey forces this disclosure to happen and you're not on board, it ends up being on his terms.'

'It's the wrong thing to do.' Hammond murmured. 'It's been difficult enough handling Russian involvement not to mention our own government. If we complicate things with further international involvement...'

'You're concerned the programme will get mired in bureaucracy.' Jacob said.

'Or shut down.' Hammond sighed as he considered Jacob's advice. 'There are times I wonder why I do this job.'

'Because you love it.' Jacob replied immediately. He raised his glass. 'You run a great command, George, and people will see that.'

Hammond gave a huff of appreciative laughter. He couldn't deny that he was pleased with the praise. He'd needed to hear it, he realised with some chagrin. He'd been internally critical about the way he'd handled the dimensional creatures. He should have kept the base on lockdown for longer; he should have believed Jonas Quinn instead of jumping to conclusions about the Kelownan's health...he'd deserved some of the criticism Kinsey had levelled at him.

Jacob smiled suddenly. 'You know you could always bring in the weight of your alien allies to help your cause.'

'You mean the Tok'ra.' Hammond surmised.

'Actually I was thinking of the Asgard.' Jacob said. 'Don't they owe us for saving their galaxy?'

'They're usually quite strict about not getting involved with the internal politics of a planet.' Hammond said. But it probably wouldn't hurt to ask the question; the Asgard did owe them.

Jacob grimaced. 'The Tok'ra would probably decline for the same reason and besides...' he stopped and tilted his head as though listening internally.

'And besides?' Hammond prompted.

'We're not really in a position to help you right now.' Jacob concluded. 'Anubis has done a lot of damage in the last year.'

Hammond nodded slowly. Anubis had targeted the Tok'ra; most were in hiding, they had scaled back the number of permanent bases they had and there was even a small number living permanently at the Alpha site with the Free Jaffa. 'How are things going on the Alpha site?'

'Good.' Jacob shrugged. 'We have a few tussles here and there but nothing we can't sort out.' He took a large gulp of his drink. 'Bra'tac has been a Godsend.'

'He's a good man.' Hammond agreed.

'I'm enjoying getting to know him.' Jacob said. 'Teal'c's son is a pistol too.'

'Teal'c'll be thrilled to hear you say so.' Hammond noted with a smile. 'He's very proud of Rya'c.'

'He should be.' Jacob drained the glass and set it on the desk. 'You can tell the kid misses his Dad though.'

'Teal'c's sacrificed a great deal to help us and fight against the Goa'uld.' Hammond said.

Jacob nodded. 'You know in some ways I get to see Sam more now than I did when she was a kid.'

'Susie reminds me every so often that I should have been retired by now.' Hammond grimaced, thinking of his own daughter.

'How is Susie?' Jacob asked.

'Good.' Hammond replied. 'She's teaching part-time again now Kayla and Tessa are both in school. She's enjoying it. She and Russell seem happy. It's nice to see her settled.'

'I feel the same way about Mark.' Jacob said, referring to his son. 'Great wife, good job, fantastic kids...' his voice trailed away.

'But?' said Hammond, hearing the undercurrent in Jacob's tone, seeing it in the way his eyes darkened.

'I worry about Sam.' Jacob admitted. He sighed heavily and gestured. 'I know she's doing great things and I'm so proud of her I could burst but I wonder sometimes if she's realised what she's missing out on by focusing so heavily on her career.'

'She's still a young woman, Jake.' Hammond pointed out. 'There's time yet.'

'I know, I know, but you can't tell me you and Jack aren't grooming her to take over SG1.' Jacob smiled at Hammond's wince. 'I know you can't discuss it with me – it's not appropriate – but I have eyes, and let's face it, why else wouldn't you have given her a command by now? Not to mention Jack only has, what? A year or so left in the field? It's a miracle he made it back after what happened with Ba'al.'

'Jacob.' Hammond said warningly.

His friend held up his hands in surrender. 'My point is that I just want her to be happy, George.'

'Isn't that what we all want for our kids?' Hammond replied mildly.

Jacob nodded. He grimaced. 'We seem to have gotten off track.' He folded his hands over his stomach. 'Have you decided what you're going to do about Kinsey?'

'Jack suggested shooting him.' Hammond commented idly. The SG1 team leader had called in earlier to check that the team had made it back from P9X391. Hammond had informed him of developments and hadn't been surprised at Jack's response.

'Why doesn't that surprise me?' Jacob laughed.

Hammond chuckled before he sobered. 'I guess I'm going to have to agree to this disclosure idea; get some control over it.'

'That would be my plan.' Jacob agreed. He stood up. 'Well, I'm beat. I'm going to find some quarters.'

Hammond stood up. 'I'll leave a message with the guards at the check-in desk to let Sam know you've arrived.'

'Thanks, George.' Jacob clasped his outstretched hand warmly before he departed from the office.

Hammond sat down and thought over Jacob's advice some more. He was still inclined to stall but Kinsey was a problem and there was no doubt that the disclosure would happen unless the Senator was dealt with. He took out the disc of evidence from his desk drawer and regarded it tiredly. Maybe it was time to play his card; maybe it was time to give the evidence he held to Agent Barrett.

 _Not yet._

The words rushed through him like a gust of wind. He frowned and couldn't help the instinctive look around his office to check he was alone even though the words had been inside his head. But they hadn't sounded like him; they'd sounded like...like Daniel Jackson.

Hammond hesitated but slowly placed the disc back into the drawer. He looked around his office one more time, holding his breath. There was nothing; no words, no sound. He shook himself and stood up. He was probably just tired; it was time to go home. He walked out and switched the lights off, plunging the room into darkness.

o-O-o

The early morning light had turned the pond to a pale gold colour. Jack blew on his coffee, took a gulp and set it down beside the tackle box. He picked up the rod and sent the line flashing through the air. The whirr and the accompanying plonk as the line hit the water brought a smile to Jack's face. He began to slowly reel the line in, enjoying the chill on his skin.

He breathed in deeply, letting the air expand his lungs and blow away the cobwebs. He'd needed this, Jack thought absently. More than he would ever admit to. He'd been disappointed but understanding when Hammond had denied leave immediately after SG1 had returned from helping the Asgard with the Replicators. There had been a backlog of missions to get through given the delays caused by the Asgard taking a lot of the SGC's supplies – the mission to P9X391 had actually been originally slated for SG8. But Jack was pleased Hammond had decided not to recall him with the revelation Jonas hadn't just needed some time off but actually had seen something.

Jack felt a twinge of guilt. It wasn't the first time one of them had seen something and they'd all ignored it in favour of a more rational explanation but it didn't make it right. He shrugged the feeling away. Jonas would get over it and the kid had to feel vindicated given what had happened.

He picked up his coffee and blew on it again before taking another gulp, wincing as the hot liquid burned his tongue and the roof of his mouth. He welcomed the warmth and put the mug down again. Damn, but it was cold. He glanced around the pond; there was a faint mist over the water; an edge of frost on the ground. The silence was peaceful, absent of anything but nature; the calls of the birds, the rustling branches and grass.

Jack ignored the touch of loneliness that skated over his heart. His mind unwillingly went back to when he'd left the SGC – Carter's face as she'd accused him of only inviting her when he knew she was already committed to doing something else. She'd looked...hurt despite his efforts to make light of it all.

It was for the best, Jack reminded himself, although he wasn't entirely certain why he had invited her fishing at all especially since his previous fishing invites hadn't been extended just simply out of friendship unlike his offers to Daniel and Teal'c, and they'd both known that.

He sighed.

He wasn't up to a detailed analysis of his motivations, although he suspected wanting to torture himself with what ifs might have been part of it, a half-formed thought that he _had_ made the same offer to Teal'c so it wasn't exactly completely inappropriate, along with a distinct lack of thought about what Carter would make of it. It occurred to him that she could think that he hadn't wanted her to go fishing with him at all especially as she had been right that he'd only invited her because he had been confident that she'd say no.

Jack shook the thought away. At the end of the day, it didn't matter – couldn't matter. He couldn't call her and explain because that would mean acknowledging the past feelings between them. It was for the best if she believed he didn't want her.

He set the whole sorry mess of his feelings for Carter aside and focused on the fishing rod. He sent the line back across the water. He had two weeks of peace, quiet and relaxation and he intended to enjoy every minute. From everything Hammond had said and not said the day before, the SGC was going to be battling on the political front for the next few months. He scowled. He really should have just shot Kinsey when he'd had the chance, Jack mused darkly. He sighed and reached for his coffee. Peace, quiet, relaxation. Everything else could wait.

fin.


End file.
